More than 300 boys and girls from 16 schools in the southern province turned up at a coaching camp conducted by Sri Lanka Rugby (SLR) which said it was one of the biggest show-ups for a promotion of the sport in recent years.
More than 280 boys and more than 30 girls were part of the clinic that taught them the basics of what has become the world’s fastest growing sport for women.
Head of SLR Rizly Illyas along with the president of the Ruhunu Provincial Rugby Football Union Sanjeewa Jayawardena graced the occasion and handed out balls that were donated by World Rugby to all the schools that participated in the camp on Thursday at St. Aloysius College ground in Galle.
Provincial rugby coaches also attended the camp that SLR described as highly successful.
“The eagerness and the enthusiasm demonstrated by the children showed the potential that Sri Lanka has to look ahead to the future,” said Illyas.
He said the players will be initially involved in an Under-14 tournament in the southern province and then move into a championship featuring the provinces of Uva, Ruhuna and Sabaragamuwa.
The southern province has already produced two players for the men’s team in the recent past while unearthing four women’s players Nipuni Rasanjali, Madushani Araliya, Dilini Kanchana and Dulani Pallikondage who is the current Sri Lanka team captain.
Previously there were also four players from the south who played for the Sri Lanka women’s team.
Presently there are eight clubs playing in the lower division following in the footsteps of the Galle RFC that played in the A Division League along with the Hambantota Sharks in the recent past.